The New Year brings a new look to the Lee County Board of Supervisors.
The five-member panel is all male and all Democrat following the departures of its lone female member, Janet Fife-LaFrenz and its lone Republican member, Larry Kruse.
Taking their places are Matt Pflug of Keokuk and Ron Fedler of West Point.
Judge Michael Schilling administered the oath of office to Pflug, Fedler, Auditor Denise Fraise, Supervisor Gary Folluo, Sheriff Jim Sholl and about 15 deputies in the Sheriff’s and Auditor’s offices during the board’s first meeting of 2013.
Once the pomp and circumstance was completed, the supervisors got to work and elected Rick Larkin as Chairman and Ernie Schiller as Vice Chairman.
Both men represent portions of Fort Madison.
Much of the business conducted during the organizational meeting was routine, but there was some disagreement as to where the board should meet in 2013.
Pflug and Folluo, who each represent portions of Keokuk, pushed for the board to split the meetings between Keokuk and Fort Madison.
They said it is more likely that a Keokuk resident will travel to the South Lee County Courthouse on North 7th Street compared to the Lee County Jail.
Schiller said he pushed for the move to the jail, several years ago, to make it easier for rural residents to attend the meetings and to promote the idea of one Lee County, compared to three factions: Keokuk, Fort Madison, & Rural.
The motion to split the meeting locations was defeated so the meetings will continue to be held on Tuesdays at 9:00 A.M. at the Lee County Jail near Montrose.